LONDON: Declan Rice scored his first goal for Arsenal and Gabriel Jesus added the icing on the cake as Arsenal roared back from a goal down to beat Manchester United 3-1 at the Emirates on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford gave the visitors the lead against the run of play in the first half but Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard equalized seconds later.
The Gunners had a penalty award overturned following a VAR check and United were denied what could have been a late winner when substitute Alejandro Garnacho was ruled offside.
The home side kept up the pressure in eight minutes of added time and were rewarded when Rice controlled a corner and shot past Andre Onana with the help of a deflection off Jonny Evans.
There was still time for another goal as substitute Jesus burst forward, teasing Onana before putting the ball in the net.
The result leaves Arsenal fifth in the table after their third win in four games, two points behind leaders Manchester City, while United are 11th in the table.
Earlier, Arsenal shot out of the blocks, pinning United back in the warm September sunshine.
The home side should have taken the lead in the 13th minute but new signing Kai Havertz miskicked horrendously from inside the area with the goal at his mercy.
Arsenal continued to dominate, pressing high and forcing United into awkward situations at the back.
The game exploded into life shortly before the half-hour mark when United took the lead against the run of play after a speedy counter-attack.
Christian Eriksen picked up a loose ball in midfield and burst forward, producing a perfectly weighted pass for Rashford, running down the left-hand channel.
The England forward, largely anonymous in the early stages, cut inside and past two defenders before unleashing a shot past the despairing dive of Aaron Ramsdale.
But the Gunners were level just a minute later when Odegaard, unmarked in the area, blasted home from just inside the box after being found by the impressive Gabriel Martinelli.
But for all the home side’s enterprising play, they mustered just one shot on target in the first half.
Arsenal were the quicker to settle after the break and were awarded a penalty just before the hour mark when Havertz tumbled in the box after being sandwiched between Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Casemiro but referee Anthony Taylor overturned his decision following a VAR check.
United boss Erik ten Hag gave new signing Rasmus Hojlund his first action in a United shirt, bringing on the Denmark forward for Martial in the 67th minute, also introducing former captain Harry Maguire for Lisandro Martinez.
Martinelli curled a shot just wide as Arsenal continued to look the more likely winners, but United looked dangerous on the break.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta made three changes, including bringing on Jesus for the lively Nketiah.
Garnacho appeared to have won the game for United in the 88th minute but VAR ruled he was marginally offside.
United lost all six matches away to other members of the top seven last season, conceding 3.66 goals per away match on average and Sunday’s result spells more away-day misery.
Declan Rice scores as Arsenal hit back to beat Manchester United
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Declan Rice scores as Arsenal hit back to beat Manchester United
- Garnacho appeared to have won game for United in 88th minute but VAR ruled he was offside
- Result leaves Arsenal fifth after third win in four games
Two own goals save Arsenal blushes against Wolves
LONDON: Arsenal avoided a major embarrassment against Premier League bottom club Wolves on Saturday, benefiting from two own goals — one in stoppage time — to win 2-1 and move five points clear of Manchester City.
Manager Mikel Arteta admitted that his team had struggled to create clear chances and that the win should have been much more comfortable.
But he said that the manner of the victory would give the team a major boost.
“That gives you belief that regardless of how the game goes, you can always find a solution to win it,” he told TNT Sports.
“But now we’re going to have a clean week. We need to start to train certain aspects slowly, because if you don’t train them, you start to deteriorate a little bit.”
Arteta’s men were blunt in the first half, failing to muster a single shot on target as Gabriel Martinelli wasted a clutch of chances.
The Arsenal boss made three changes shortly before the hour mark, bringing on Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino for Martinelli, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi.
The Gunners mounted wave after wave of attacks, and Declan Rice’s shot midway through the second half — their first on target — was well saved by Sam Johnstone.
But in the 70th minute the sheer weight of pressure told to the enormous relief of an impatient and nervy Emirates crowd.
Johnstone flicked Bukayo Saka’s corner onto a post as he scrambled to reach the ball but it rebounded back onto his arm and into the net for an own goal.
Gabriel Jesus came on for Viktor Gyokores for his first home match after 11 months out injured.
Astonishingly, Wolves pulled level in the 90th minute, when Mateus Mane’s flat cross was headed in by Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare.
But just as the Arsenal fans contemplated a damaging draw, the Gunners benefited from a second own goal.
Saka delivered a perfect cross which Jesus attacked but the ball was diverted into his own net by Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera.
Winless Wolves, with a ninth league defeat in a row, have mustered just two points from their 16 games so far and are on course for the worst season in Premier League history.
Pep Guardiola’s City travel to in-form Crystal Palace on Sunday seeking to close the gap to Arsenal, who have not won the Premier League since 2004.
